Cartridge belt link with removable loop closing cover



Feb. 26, 1963 J. F. FALCONE ET AI. 3,

CARTRIDGE BELT LINK WITH REMOVABLE LOOP CLOSING COVER Filed Oct. 11,1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

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CARTRIDGE BELT LINK WITH REMOVABLE LOOP CLOSING COVER Filed Oct. 11,1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wwmmw INVENTOR. JumEEFFUln UTlE Alexun[[EETHU'IITITIET United States The invention described herein may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to cartridge belt links and more particularly tolinks which permit the cartridges to be side stripped therefrom yet havethe retention strength of those links of closed loop types.

In order to eliminate the displacement of rounds in the retaining linksof a cartridge belt during transfer to the feeding mechanism of'afirearm it is necessary to provide the retaining loops of the links withsufficient gripping force to withstand the accelerative forces producedby the non-uniform intermittent movement of the belt. With links of openlook types which permit the cartridges to be side stripped therefrom,the gripping force may be so excessive, to serve its purpose, that thecases of the cartridges are indented when installed into and/or pulledsideways through the open loops or the gun may be stopped from lack ofsufficient torque to strip the rounds from the links.

It is estimated that closed loop links, wherein the rounds arecompletely circled by a loop, are about three times as strong as theopen type links and therefore the force with which the rounds have to begripped in such links need not be so great as in those of open looptypes. The most advantageous way of stripping cartridges from cartridgelinks is sideways which is, of course, impossible with the closed looplinks.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cartridge beltlink which has the stripping advantages of open loop links and theretaining strength of links with closed loops.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a link whereinthe free ends of the open loop are joined by a removable cover whichcompletes the encirclement of the retained round and forms a closedloop, with the cover being removable to open the loop for side strippingafter the link is under the control of the feeding mechanism of the gun.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a cartridgebelt link which is simple in construction and positive in its functions.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects andadvantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferredembodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a firearm feeding mechanism with the cartridgebelt composed of the links of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken along line 2-2 o FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the link.

Shown in the figures is a cartridge belt 12 for supplying cartridges 14to a firearm feeding mechanism 16, the cartridge belt being composed ofa plurality of cartridge retaining links 18 which are flexibly joined byconnectors 20.

Each of the links 18 includes a retaining member 22 and a cover 24.Retaining member 22 is generally of the same design as conventional opentype links and is atent ice formed from a single piece of spring steel.A pair of arms 25 extend from a bridge portion 26 of retaining member 22to form an open front loop 28 which partially encircles case 30 ofcartridge 14 at the shoulder of the case. A pair of ribs 32 extend frombridge portion 26 to form an open rear loop 34 which partially encirclescase 30 adjacent the base thereof. The arcuate extent of arms 25 andribs 32 is slightly more than to hold a cartridge 14 within retainingmember 22 and the arms and ribs are formed so as to be spread slightlyapart when a cartridge is pressed laterally into and from the retainingmember and to resiliently clamp a cartridge with sufficient force to beretained in link 18 during transfer therein to feeding mechanism 16.Bridge portion 26 is provided on opposite sides, between front loop 28and rear loop 34, with arcuate hooks 36 each being adapted for engaginga connector 20.

Ribs 32 are flared longitudinally towards the free ends thereat toincrease the area of contact between the ribs and the cartridge 14engaged thereby. The free ends of the ribs 32 are bent outwardly to formlaterally extending flanges 38 and the sides of cover 24 are folded backtowards each other to form channels 40 for slidingly receiving theflanges so that the cover may be slidingly installed on and removed fromretaining member 22. Cover 24 is arched so as to complete theencirclement of a cartridge 14 held by retaining member 22 and theflanges 38 and channels 40 are formed so that when ribs 32 are spread bythe insertion of a cartridge 14 therebetween flanges 38 and channels 40are in firm contact so that the ribs are prevented from spreadingfurther apart to decrease the force with which the retained cartridge isgripped. Thus, the force with which retaining member 22 need holdcartridge 14 is considerably less than that which would have beenrequired without the additional cooperation of cover 24, therebyreducing the danger of indenting case 30 or stopping the gun when thecartridge is stripped from the retaining member.

A tab 42 is formed in cover 24 so as to press downwardly againstcartridge 14 held by retaining member 24 when the cover is installedthereon and the forwardly projecting end of the cover is creased, asnoted at 43, to also press resiliently against the retained cartridge tofrictionally secure the cover to the retaining member.

A follower 44 extends upwardly from cover 24 for engagement with a cam46 which is disposed in feeding mechanism 16 to slidingly remove thecover from retaining member 22 for separate ejection from the feedingmechanism as link 18 is moved thereinto and is under the controlthereof. With cover 24 removed, cartridge 14 is free to be strippedsideways from retaining member 22 as with all conventionalside-stripping links of open loop types.

From the foregoing it is clearly apparent that there is provided hereina cartridge retaining link which has the advantages of both the openloop and closed loop types and which is simple and rugged inconstruction and positive in its functions.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described indetail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised withinthe spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended toinclude such variations.

We claim:

1. In combination, a cartridge link, means for flexibly joining aplurality of said links to form a cartridge belt, and a feedingmechanism for progressively advancing said cartridge belt, said linkcomprising a retaining member provided with an open cartridge retainingloop having a pair of free ends, a cover slidingly mounted on the freeends of said loop for closing said loop around a cartridge retainedtherein, and a cam follower extending from said cover, and said'fee'dingmechanism including cam means disposed for engagement by said camfollower as said cartridge beltis advanced .into said feeding mechanismfor removingsaid cover from said retaining member.

i2."The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said cover is providedwith means engageable with the cartridgeassociated therewithfor'frictionally restraining displacement'of said cover respective tosaid retaining member.

3. A cartridge belt link comprising a retaining member with an opencartridge retaining loop formed to retain a cartridge therein so as to"be strippable sideways from the'link, a pair of laterally'spaced freeends on said loop, a cover, a flange on each of said free ends, and achannel? formed along each side of said cover so as to'slidin'glyreceive. the respective'one of said flanges whereby saidcover is sliding'ly removable from said retaining member with avtranslational movement parallel to the main axis of the cartridgeretained in said loop.

4. A cartridge belt link comprising a'retainingmember provided with anopen'cartridgeretaining loop having a pair of tfreeltends said loopbeing formed to retain a cartridge therein so as to be strippablesidewaysf-rom'the Ili'nkga' cover, means for removably'mounting saidcover on said pair of free ends to complete said looparoundtheicartridge and soas to be 'slidingly' removable there- "from, 'saidmeans including a-pair of fianges formed in :said'pair'of free ends-andchannelsiformed along the sides of said cover for sliding engagementwith said flanges, and -means--disposedon'- said cover for cooperationwith external cam means for effecting the removal of said cover.

5. A cartridge belt link comprising a retaining membervprovided withanopencartridge retaining loop having a pair of free ends, said loopbeingrormed to retain a cartridgethereinso as to be strippablesidewaysfrorn the link, a cover, meansfor removably mounting said coveron said p air of free-ends to complete sai'd loop aroundthecartridge;andso as-to beslidingly removable therefrom, said meansincluding a pair .of flanges formed on said-pa-irrof-freeends andchannelsnformed along ,the sides of said cover for sliding engagementwith said flanges, said flanges and said channels being formed so posedon said-cover for cooperationwith externalcam means'for efiecting theremoval of saidcover,

References'Cited in the file of this patent TE TATE PATE T

3. A CARTRIDGE BELT LINK COMPRISING A RETAINING MEMBER WITH AN OPENCARTRIDGE RETAINING LOOP FORMED TO RETAIN A CARTRIDGE THEREIN SO AS TOBE STRIPPABLE SIDEWAYS FROM THE LINK, A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED FREEENDS ON SAID LOOP, A COVER, A FLANGE ON EACH OF SAID FREE ENDS, AND ACHANNEL FORMED ALONG EACH SIDE OF SAID COVER SO AS TO SLIDINGLY RECEIVETHE RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID FLANGES WHEREBY SAID COVER IS SLIDINGLYREMOVABLE FROM SAID RETAINING MEMBER WITH A TRANSLATIONAL MOVEMENTPARALLEL TO THE MAIN AXIS OF THE CARTRIDGE RETAINED IN SAID LOOP.